retired_tonytranbg79

This makes good reading BoN, keep it up

retired_embartl

thanks fellas

The Tairomai - Present Day

Since the clash with the Fujiwara Fighters in 1850, the Tairomai continued to lead their lives generally uninterrupted. Obviously, given the number of casualties incurred in the last battle, the clan had to recover from being decimated, and now they remained in their small enclave, still as close and still more or less untouched by the technological advances gripping the rest of the country. Of course they were aware of the growing civilisation around them and the life that so many led, but they still held true - they still lived their idyllic lives in peace, surrounded by nature's beauty with no care or trouble in the world.

With the advances of technology however, there of course came the opportunities for more folk, both foreigners and Japanese citizens to explore their lands in great detail - to trek across the areas previously discarded as inhabitable. This included the mountainous areas and the Tairomai faced several attempts at intrusion on their lands, and attempts to even "modernise" the local vicinity if such a term be used in regards in to natural geography.

The present leader of the tribe Tokei Yoshito was charged with the responsibility of protecting the clan's honour and traditions. For years the temptation to explore the modern world in greater detail had seeped into the group - and suppressed each time. The Life was indeed comfortable whilst challenging, but the natural curiosity of every young man or woman made the task of controlling the wandering minds all the more difficult. With each passing plane, each sighting of adventurous explorers, the minds were aroused further of what was out there, beyond the confines of this beautiful setting.

Tokei was a man though who's own heart had yearnings of its' own - making the challenge all the more difficult. He often conversed with explorers, though careful to warn passers by of travelling through certain off limit areas (the Clan's ), lest they were government officials. It seemed being proud of a history was one thing, but actually having remnants of such a time still around was another for authoritarian regime - keen to continue to invest its' interests heavily in American style corporations, and promoting business, business, business - they couldn't be doing with relics of a bygone era.

Tokei was out keeping watch one afternoon when another group of travellers wandered through as usual, trying to engineer their own passage to the north of the Island. It was a tricky path - one beset by steep climbs and unpredictable weather. This group, like the others before were apparently struggling, and like before they came over to speak with Takei.

"Sumimasen! Sumimasen?"

"Ha?"

" Shitsuredesuka, Onimae wa?"

"Takei san. Onimae wa?"

"Ah... Jeff-San, Igirisu-jin!"

"English? Another? Lot of you here."

"You speak English?!!"

"Of course, the ideas of being educated and informed are not mutually exclusive from living a quiet remote life are they? Or perhaps I am mistaken."

"No, no - sorry, my mistake. I wondered if you could -

- tell you where you should proceed to reach Mt Kujiwara?"

"Yes. If you could."

"Indeed, you go left now and only left from here or you will face trouble - and believe me - I have seen adventurers who think they know it all go wrong and perish. I hope you respect my advice. It is west you must go from here Jeff-San."

"Arigatoo Gozaimasu, Tokei-San."

Before returning to his watch, Takei called out to the wandering Englishman. " Oh I must say, you're accent is terrible!" before laughing wryly. A westerner with a basic grasp of the Japanese language - stranger things have rarely happened, still what wasn't strange was the penchant for visiting that mountain. Takei had been there once as a young man guided by his father and he had no wish to return - it was a dangerous slope - with limited climbing and with his role as guardian of the Tairomai it would be wrong to say the least. The pilgrimage south to the renowned volcanic peak Mount Fuji, one rumoured to have been created by an earthquake in 286 BC was also still on hold. His thoughts were turning dangerously to the countries natural beauties, including the Chuzenji mountain lake and the Kegon waterfall, though neither had been seen often by his tribe, since the features had been incorporated into the Nikko National Park.

retired_jkat116

Great start Brian, enjoying this one :thup:

retired_embartl

cheers, after next week I may be able to update this a little quicker

A Late Christmas Present

For Jeff, the past 3 weeks had been nightmarish. He could barely loosen up over Christmas at his parents house, as he was simply dying to know whether he had got the job. He'd already prepared anyway, as he'd spent time with his face inside his Japanese text book from University days, and reading up on the background of the local area - as usual ever fascinated by the history of the arts, and in particular the martial arts. Anime too, interested Jeff as his university studies began floating back to him, and suddenly Jeff was putting all his energies into this move, the risk of building up expectations was a high one, but he didn't matter - all that he knew was he had to take it.

The same routine had occurred each morning, to stagger semi naked downstairs, put on the kettle, get out an assortment of various food stuffs that would somehow manifest themselves into an edible and strangely satisfying breakfast, and then going to check the post. Today was no different with the exception of what arrived through the letterbox - and Jeff seemed to stare at it for an unusually long amount of time. The answer surely lay within it - but the sudden realisation it could say "Sorry, but..." alarmed him. He'd even finished the washing up and putting away of all items before he got round to opening it - a shocking turn of events - but it was with relief and delight that he saw the opening gambit:

Screw the rest of the letter - Jeff pick up his phone and dialled immediately and upon accepting the offer with a great deal of enthusiasm and delight he danced a small jig in his kitchen, and couldn't stop smiling all day. His bags were packed, and a call to the estates agents allowing them to accept any reasonable bid for his 3 bedroom semi, precluded his preparations to leave. He began to fill out all the requisite forms for working abroad, sending off the necessary information to the home office and it's equivalent in Japan. His good working record thus far, would make the transition a formality.

Later in the day, whilst fidgeting in front of the television Jeff received another call, this time from Yoki Iji himself, offering his personal thanks for taking up the position as manager - but also to provide basic details of how he would settle into the local surroundings. A rented, detached cottage not 2 miles from the training ground and the offices on site. A tour was offered of the local surroundings, including an offered trek into the lands - what an opportunity! He wondered wistfully if there was any truth to the supposed legend of the hidden tribes out there... well there was only way to find out!

retired_mika318

Excellent stuff BoN. Really enjoying reading this. The attention to detail is great :thup:

retired_mellnet

Nice story! Sendai is a great city, the best in Japan.

Good Luck.

retired_embartl

cheers guys and yeah I only had a quick flick through Sendai and it looks pretty impressive, though I really only chose it for Geographical reasons :p

Jeff's In Japan

He'd been there a good couple of weeks, having gotten past the immigration desk with few problems, and his improving grasp of the language certainly seemed to shock the locals, when he approached them to ask directions and the locations of useful stores, such as convenience stores and laundrettes. He had been taking in the surroundings with delight, though on his visit to Tokyo, he'd been a little put off by what he saw as the "Americanisation" of the city, which although offered familiarity did not offer quite the cultural diversity he'd been looking for.

After about 10 days of settling into his home and conversing with Yoko Iji on the club's future and status, he took up the offer mentioned so long ago to visit the mountains not that far to the North West from Sendai. It was a region he'd read about in preparation for his departure but he wanted to explore it in further detail, for here was an example of one of the fabled remnants of an ancient tribe, that conspiracy theorists believed still existed. Indeed when he had first ventured there soon after, he'd met a man dressed in what appeared to be ancient uniform. Their guide had informed the tourists he was merely there to offer direction and advice, but as the explorers went off on their respective routes, somewhere towards the Mountain, he seemed inquisitive. His fumbling Japanese allowed him to ask for directions, but Jeff decided not to press further just yet. The man, who seemed exceptionally focussed, seemed almost protective of his identity - and it was difficult to ascertain what, if any, group he belonged to. The dress was not one which immediately sprung an answer to him.

He also wondered further up to the walk-able routes on the mountain ranges, to take in the view, before the weather prevented further exploration and he returned to his house again, enjoying a pleasant dinner at Iki's house with other members of the club's hierarchy and his fellow assistants at the club who would help integrate Jeff into the day to day running of the club. Hiroyuki Matsumoto was another young man, who would be acting as his direct right hand man at the club with regards to the purchasing of players, and of course also would aid the coaching aspect. He was also joined by Kazuo Echigo, a former Japanese international, and Tomoaki Takagi an experienced man, as fellow coaches. Towards the end of the evening, Jeff was introduced to Masayuki Ito, the club's physio, who brought with him a host of techniques distinctly foreign to Jeff's way of thinking - which should hardly have come as a surprise. Not present but of equal importance to Jeff were the club's official scouts, responsible for routing out talent, and they were the two Jeff would need to speak to, to get across his ideas of who were acceptable targets. They were Masayuki Takagi, the younger brother of the coach, and Hiroshi Ishii, reputed to a have a wide knowledge of the immediate vicinities.

The following days were spent evaluating the players at his disposal for the coming season ahead, and initially Jeff had to rely quite heavily on Hiroyuki Matsumoto's expertise but it didn't take long to draw up a basic assessment.

retired_embartl

The List Of Players:

1. Goalkeepers :-

- Ken Ishiwaka , 30. The eldest and previous incumbent of the No. 1 gloves, Ken would remain the side's number one for now, and was offered an extension on his short term contract on Hiroyuki's recommendation.

- Norio Takehashi , 29. Back up and understandably so - Jeff was not keen too highly on his concentration as several times in the opening training session he seemed to be on another planet.

- Kei Sakurai 23. The youngest of the trio, there's a great deal of doubt about this lad's ability to establish himself in the first team in the future. Despite a decent grasp of the basics, he wasn't a mentally strong character - a key characteristic in any dependable goalkeeper. He will be playing in the reserve side for the foreseeable future.

2. Full Backs

- Katsuyuki Saito 27. A very competent starlet - the late starter to professional football will be the clubs first choice right back, but despite not having a left foot to speak of, he is currently the only player willing to give it a shot if need be. For now, the coaches will work on his left foot, whilst Jeff made a not to look out for a left footer full back a priority.

-Hiroyuki Tazawa 22. A tough young cookie, Hiroyuki would start back up but his ability to play in the centre could prove useful. He has the head, stubbornness, height and pace to cope.

- Hiroaki Tsujikami 24. Appalling - Jeff had seen better players in his Winterfold days. Available for transfer, and possible expulsion.

- Eiki Onadera 20. Another right sided full back, but this lad had the heart and the desire to improve. Not ready for first team football and there are better alternatives for now, but Eiki could be relied upon if injuries hit.

- Satoshi Sayama 20. Similar to Eiki, but not as good. Unlikely to push past the plethora of alternatives at Jeff's disposal but age is on his side.

3. Centre Backs

- Yoshihito Yamaji 30. A hard working solid man, but lacking in pace - will have trouble containing speedy attackers. Likely to be involved for now, but will need to play well to convince Jeff.

- Eiji Gaya 31. Knows the basics but not much else - which is why he works incredibly hard in training.

- Kei Mikuriya 23. The sweeper has been a regular in the side since the teams inception into the J-League - and it's clear why. This talent should be a key member of the back line.

- Dyuvavic Surobordan 34. The Yugoslav is old, and will be a back up initially, possibly moving on if funds are needed.

- Ricardo 22. New Brazilian defender with skills - bit temperamental but his undoubted flair will excite the fans. Likely to share the back line with Kei.

4. Midfield Wingers

- Koji Nakajima 23. Koji is of the defensive mould and will be covering the left back slot until an out and out full back is found. Reliable sums him up. No forward play however.

- Takahiro Yamada 28. The midfielder with a penchant for the left of midfield is the only capped player for Japan at the club - as his experience and refined skills showed.

- Shunsuke Nonaka 23. Back up winger. Some pace, but distribution on initial showings is pathetic. Might not last long if Jeff can bring in the right talent.

- Manabu Nakamura 23. A fast slight talent, Manabu will be one of the players depended upon to supply the front men.

- Naoki Chiba 23. Was a regular last year, but more down to ability to play inside centre as well rather than talent. Vaguely competent but Jeff's trying to find better.

- Motoki Imagawa 20. An able youngster, but he'll have to bide his time as competition on the right will keep him out for now.

- Yasutaka Kobayashi 20. A player Jeff was very impressed to see this lad here. The determination complemented his obvious skill.

5. Central Midfielders

- Nobuyuki Zaizan 24. Due to lack of alternatives he'll probably start. He is decent relatively young, but Jeff will be working on ironing out his raw weakness'.

- Tomohiro Hasumi 28. The attacking midfielder has a degree of ability but it is somewhat limited and at 28 is unlikely to get much better soon, even if he applies himself well.

6. Strikers

- Shinji Fujiyoshi 30. Age isn't with him but his attitude is fantastic.

- Rodrigo 22. The Brazilian though very skilful, and living up to his national stereotype, he also possess' the uglier characteristic of arrogance, and despite not having featured for the club he already wants to move to a more renowned club which annoyed Jeff.

- Satoshi Ohtomo 19. Young, willing and loves the game so will be staying for now, but needs work and time.

- Seiki Aizawa 19. Available for loan. Kid most likely to break through in the near future - his finishing is superb - but the all round game needs scratching up.

- Shunsuke Nanoka 18. The kids' not special. Young - indeed, but missing the pre-requisite of basic footballing talent.

retired_embartl

Setting Up The Network

Having completed his basic overview of the side, Jeff and Hiroyuki Matsumoto were discussing the possible additions required for the side, and had invited both the respective scouts Masayuki Takagi and Hiroshi Ishii to one of the offices built into the training complex. Sitting in comfortable "film-director" style chairs the 4 men were clasping a small glass of Sake - a enjoyable part of Jeff's introduction to his new cultural setting.

JB: So where are we to look for new signings?"

HM : Jeff, what is most important to recognise is that we do not have much money. I don't know what your situation was like in England but we are certainly not at that level now.

:JB: That I am aware of Hiroyuki, but we need to establish a consistent and concerted effort for finding new talent in the future. That is how a club with few funds establishes a base to grow from. Masayuki and Hiroshi, you know the area much better than I ever will, I need you to root out the talent. Look at what we have here and then find me those who'll add to the squad. Not the best lad on a street, but the best lad in his city. Youngsters that make it are rare. There's no point saying, "hey, I've found 20 young players for you to have a look at" because I know straight off I'm going to have to tell loads of them they won't make it. Give me the best of the rest!"

MT: That's all fine Jeff-San, but you need to recognise where we are coming from. Sumo and baseball are still the big attractions for youth at the moment. Soccer is a sport many like to play in college but they give no thought to a future in the sport. The culture is changing slowly, and the presence of the 2002 World Cup will be a massive boost to raising the profile of the sport, but we need to promote football first.

JB: So do you think that it would be worthwhile this club establishing a Youth Programme like we have in England? This is to say we have a school of kids learning, signed on YTS terms, continuing their education, which I know is the firm priority for many youngsters at present, whilst getting coaching occasionally. We can also run competitions, which could offer interested youngsters the chance of a trial for instance. One thing we had at Kidderminster was a programme where the coaches from the club would go and visit local schools on days out to revitalise the interest. One day of training offering games and encouraging those interested to pursue their game. Could this work?

:HM: It's a good point Jeff, and I do think that it would prove popular. I'm not sure of the practicalities of it for now, but I will relay your thoughts to the board and Shinicihiro Matsumoto. Kids are always enthused when sporting professionals come to visit - and it is a very intelligent way of attracting interest.

MT: Of course it is clearly a long term plan Jeff-San...

:JB: Well naturally. I'm not here for a quick ride, and some fun! I want to establish a permanent system of turning out stars of the future. Some years it will be successful, other times it won't, but as long as the youth are being engaged I'm happy. We can then use that to build this club up, bring in a few more experienced pros and ideally we can look for the right blend of talent and promise and see where that will take us. Our facilities are good enough for now and the stadium impresses me. Is it often filled?

:HM: No. However they are getting bigger, and we are looking to establish ourselves at the top of the table.

JB: I know. So, Masayuki and Hiroshi, for the immediate future, I think we have to find a left back and a striker - perhaps a holding style midfielder. Preferably experienced in the left back and holding roles. Where would be the best chances of success?

HI: We have good links with the Americas and particularly Brazil - I am known over there in certain parts so I could see what's around there.

JB: Well if you went over there-

MT: then I would look locally Jeff. Believe me it is no problem - it may be hard work, but with time we'll find who we need. There is a weekly sports paper here which keeps track of the minutiae of footballers in the J-Leagues. You may find some hints there - though perhaps not until you have a greater understanding of the players around you. It is called " Definitive Japanese Sports " and is only a few hundred yen.

JB: Thanks Masayuki-san. I appreciate your help. Right, so I think we should encourage this new programme, Hiroyuki... shall we go find Mr. Iji-San and Mr. Matsumato-San?

retired_embartl

A Clan Member Departs

Tokei had heard the news earlier that morning. It annoyed him, yet at the same time, it certainly did not surprise him. Young Ryota Aoki had escaped the clan. Since his father's death of a long illness a few months ago, the adventurous spirit within the adolescent had began to take hold - the frustration he felt that perhaps his fathers life could have been prolonged with outside help gnawed at him. He wasn't stupid, he knew what was out there - the real world was beyond the walls, and he couldn't stand the fantasy tales propagated by the clan no longer. It was no easy decision though. He still felt a compunction to remain loyal to the tribe, he still felt a member and enjoyed the unity and spirit that came with it, but the temptation was just too great, as in the dead of the night he slipped out from his house, leaving his mother and two brothers, Moshimito and Yoshito behind.

Ryota was only 16 and though he was astute enough to look out for danger, he had no real knowledge of what would await him on his travels. For Tokei there was an ambivalent feeling of dismay and envy - how would he cope on his own without the safeguards of the clan - not everyone worked with the same principles as the tribe - in fact many didn't and it was a strange world for those unfamiliar with the ills of the world. His mother Yukito had also felt desolate and upset by his departure but for his siblings she had to stay strong. Tokei sympathised and acted as any caring leader would, yet he also felt a degree of envy for the boy.

He was living a dream - to enjoy a life not confined to a particular lifestyle and though the Tairomai was indeed a relaxed pleasant environment where everyone lived in a relative harmony - it was also a dull life. There were no serious threats to their existence. Though they knew they ought to stay, practicing their own dated Buddist rituals, many more were considering taking the path of Ryota and taking a risk on the outside world and it was for this reason Tokei knew he had to be the one to hold the others together - he could not leave them - it would destroy the community, a community of barely 800 would not survive much longer if the leader abandoned them and the principles that had been for so long considered sacred - and so a council of the elders was called.

"Listen my fellow clan members! We are at a grave point in our lives. For so long our way of life has been uninterrupted, save the odd disaster, but nothing that we haven't been able to survive and cope with! Do you know what I come across now? Despair! Why? Is this life not fulfilling for you? We have all we need to enjoy ourselves - there are families here who are content in our ways - we protect each other, we pass down the sacred rituals from our ancestors, we maintain our tribal instincts, and our dedicated to up keeping all this! DEDICATED! We cannot waver in spite of the temptation - I know what it must feel like - I feel it to! What is really out there? Why is that we must not talk to these strangers that pass through us? It is not out of fear of the individuals but we cannot lose our identity!

"This young boy Ryota has abandoned his mother and two siblings in search of a life elsewhere and that is tragic - however we can ill afford more wandering minds lest the Tairomai suffers irreparable harm!" Tokei finished, waiting for another to reply. Chief Woodsman Masahiro Kano duly did so." Tokei-san! I hear your call! I understand your call and I respect your call! But we must also understand that with every passing day the world outside us becomes a more tempting proposition. We all here have scouted it ourselves - we know to an extent how times have developed, and what opportunities are possible. Is there fear of death? No! There is a world without dictatorship, the citizens of what now, so I hear, is a unified Japan live in peace and prosperity. It is not a bad life!"

"I hear you Masahiro-san, and I appreciate your words. However I fear that what has been a tradition for so long will be lost forever soon unless we can contain the temptation. They will go and they will like what they see! The sense of unity and pride will be lost!"

"But it doesn't have to be like that Tokei-san!" This time it was Makoto Keneko, the Teacher, and he responded in a slow soothing manner which reflected his stature. A wise man in his sixties, the receding grey hair hidden slightly by the hood of his thick skinned cloak. " Perhaps it is time, that we ourselves move on and incorporate the new world into our own. It is perhaps the most likely way of sustaining the Tairomai and all that is sacred about it."

"By integrating with the modern world - now there's a novel concept... now what happened the last time we did that eh?"

"We'd be sensible about it obviously. Just lead expeditions beyond our surroundings more often. If you organise the curiosity, and satisfy their needs you can control their urges. Provide opportunities to explore - it is only natural. To do so is not failing our principles, it is respecting the need to maintain them over a longer period of time."

"Makoto-San I hear and respect your opinions - I always have done. I still show concern that if we allow them a taste of the outside world - that they will grab it wholeheartedly. You know as we all do, that there are activities out there which engage the youth and enable them to harness their competitive spirit along with a respect for the rule of law, I know though although many wicked crimes are still committed in this society I suspect one must accept that as an inevitable consequence of the human mind. I fear that the innocence above all may be corrupted through exposure to the negative elements of greed and selfishness. The obsession with wealth and self-gain go against our grain, but they are not far from human desires.”

“Then do as you must, Tokei-san. You are our elected leader and for that we respect you – I only hope you will make the correct choice.”